Brack is Back at IndyTopic: Motor RacingKenny Brack posted the seventh quickest lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday as the 1999 Indy 500 champion logged his first day on track for Rahal Letterman Racing as a replacement for the injured Buddy Rice.

DC Comics seeks a LettererTopic: ComicsDC Comics seeks a Letterer for the DC Lettering department. Responsible for performing in-house computer lettering and SFX for comic books and special projects. Coordinates with Art Director and Editorial as to creative expectations of each assignment. Handles delivery and tracking of lettering proofs through approval stages. Handles delivery of final lettering files for print. Handles other duties and projects as assigned.

Job Title: LettererTimeWarner Division: DC ComicsLocation: United States, New York, New YorkPosition Type: Full Time

Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent required. A degree in related field or equivalent work experience required. Prior computer or production experience preferred. Previous comic book experience a plus. Design experience helpful. Knowledge of up to and including the most recent version of Illustrator (Macintosh) required. Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Quark Xpress a plus. Typing and typography skills required. Must be able to meet deadlines under strict time constraints. Must possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Must show attentiveness to detail. Must have proficient proofreading skills. Design skills preferred.

Dereon - typeface for BeyonceTopic: TypographyDereon font family was created in 2005 for Beyonce (& Tina) Knowles, the music celebrity who launched her fashion line House of Dereon. "Initially the art director started to use Caledonia and naturally we wanted to keep some links to this innovative typeface created by W. A. Dwiggins. During the development process, the music of Beyonce was also very influential." Read more at Porchez Typofonderie (via Microsoft Typography)

Ballograf - Swedish ballpoint pens and mechanical pencilsTopic: Pens, PencilsThe Ballograf site is updated. -- "In 1945 an Austrian, Eugen Spitzer, set up a company in Göteborg with the aim of selling office supplies. With the assistance of Fritz Schaechter, an Austrian engineer, manufacturing of ballpoint pens began on a small scale in a garage on St. Pauli Street. Production subsequently increased and the business moved to Krokslätt Street in Mölndal, with the company now called Ballografverken AB. The Ballograf brand was marketed throughout the Nordic countries and soon became well-known. Ballograf was early in launching a ballpoint pen with a push mechanism, which delivered increased user friendliness. In 1956 Ballograf introduced a ballpoint cartridge containing light-fast ink. This was the major breakthrough for the ballpoint pen as it was now possible for public authorities and companies to use it. Ballograf was the leading brand of ballpoint pen in the Nordic countries. Sales were also progressing in other European countries including Austria, Switzerland and Holland.

In 1959 the company was bought by the BIC Group, a French company that wanted to establish itself in the Nordic office supplies market.

During 2004 BIC decided to sell the brand, along with manufacture of Ballograf products, to the then head of its Nordic operation. The sale was completed on 1st November 2004 and 50% of the company is now owned by Jan Johansson and 50% by Tommy Kvist."

PEN AGAIN: Ergonomic Pens, Writing Instruments, Cool New GadgetsTopic: Pens, PencilsPenagain"Partners Colin Roche and Bobby Ronsse decided to take a fresh look at the dynamics of hand control in writing, which yielded a surprisingly different pen." (via Boing Boing and fish8me)

Kay Bojesen was a silversmith, but through his wooden toys he became known as one of Danish applied art's great pioneers. The Teak Monkey with the prankster's look and the light coloured belly, has been in continuous production since 1951. Read more about Bojesen's toy/sculptures at rosendahl.com (Larger image on my flickr)

Disturbing Children's BooksTopic: Design"After a good meal and a good pipe, George felt very tired."Image from DeeT's Disturbing Children's Books

"In the 70s, we didn't find it necessary to hide so many things from our children and from each other. Here are some tidbits that should never have acquired any historical significance." Read more at DeeT's 70s page

The Fine Press Book AssociationTopic: TypographyThe Fine Press Book Association (FPBA) is an organization formed by individuals interested in the art of fine printing to promote printing skills and the appreciation of beautiful books. Parenthesis is the Association's journal. It is published twice a year and is free to members.

Innovative fountain pen writes on the nanoscaleTopic: Pens, PencilsThe Nanofountain Probe (NFP) -- "Researchers at Northwestern University have demonstrated writing at the sub-100 nanometer molecular scale in fountain-pen fashion. They developed a novel atomic force microscope (AFM) probe chip with an integrated microfluidic system for capillary feeding of molecular ink. Their results are published online by Small, a new journal dedicated to breakthroughs in nanoscience and engineering." Read the news article at EurekAlert! (via Slashdot)

"This one is another environment that is good for study or work. When was the last time you picked up a yellow #2 pencil. Try it, you might find its like trip down memory lane. Of course, elementary school memories are tough for some to relive. (via journalisimo)